For Bookings or Information contact Steve Lilley at
314-374-1919 Cell,
573-898-5760 Home, or stompsteve@gmail.com
As chair of the 2009 Al Sears Jazz Festival, I simply wanted to pass along to you and the guys what everyone has been telling me ever since your sets at last weekend's festival: the St. Louis Stompers were fantastic! The audience response to your sets on Saturday on the outdoor stage was at least as enthusiastic as any I have heard in the eight years we've been holding the event, and the happy afterglow that followed your sets at Sunday's gospel-jazz brunch seems to be continuing into the work week of everyone who was there--no small feat in today's stressful world! The Stompers clearly left their mark on our community, and your appearance has already helped to generate great interest in next year's festival.
May the St. Louis Stompers' unique musicianship, energy, professionalism, humor and personality be long-lived!
Sincerely,
William (Bill) Maakestad, Chair
2009 Al Sears Jazz Festival
Macomb, Illinois
This letter will serve as an enthusiastic recommendation to engage the St. Louis Stompers for any event or concert series.
The St. Louis Stompers Classic Jazz Band has performed at the Whitaker Music Festival here at the Missouri Botanical Garden two times in the last four years. Our summer concert series draws crowds of 5-8,000 in an outdoor setting, and this band can hold a crowd even of that size in the palm of their hands.
Their concerts are both entertaining and educational about the birth and importance of this beloved American musical genre. Their musicianship is world-class, and the sense of humor and rapport with the audience sends everyone home happy.
Best wishes,
Jim Kalkbrenner
Events Manager
Misouri Botanical Garden St. Louis, Missouri
The St. Louis Stompers Classic Jazz Band has just completed a successful engagement at the Fifteenth Suncoast Dixieland Jazz Classic and were rated amongst the top bands appearing at the event.
The band plays spirited traditional jazz with great class and showmanship. Steve Lilley as leader and emcee for the band does an excellent job of entertaining the audience as well as playing and planning a great program of music.
I highly recommend that you give consideration to this fine group of musicians for future bookings that you may be involved with presenting.
November, 2005
Dave Fanning
Festival Director & Chairman of the Board of Directors, Suncoast Jazz Classic
Thanks for bringing the St. Louis Stompers Classic Jazz Band to La Crosse for the Great River Jazz Fest this past August 5-7, 2005. From the first contact, the numerous e-mail and telephone communications and through the festival itself, you were always prompt to reply, pleasant to deal with, fully cooperative and accomodative.
In recommending your band to other festival producers I mention this first because the greatest band in the world would not earn my recommendation if dealings were characterized by stress and contention.
The Stompers are crowd pleasers, high energy, well prepared and rehearsed and willing to meet whatever schedule of performance I requested, including after-hours jam sessions. Musicianship is excellent and the Stompers are a top-notch show-style Dixie band without resorting to gimmicks to gain crowd response. Sets were varied and not repetitive which denotes a substantial repertoire, and individual players were given ample opportunity to show their improvisational skills.
Obviously, I would recommend the St Louis Stompers Classic Jazz Band to any festival producer looking for the qualities outlined above. Also I would welcome direct contact from any party considering the Stompers for an event. See the various contact methods below.
Sincerely,
Wayne
608-788-5775
608-780-6055 (Cell)
E-mail wayne@arihood.com
web site www.lacrossejazz.com
The St. Louis stompers Classic Jazz Band performed as a featured attraction at my 15th annual Tribute to Bix jazz fest this past March and they were superb! They have a combination of style and authenticity that pleased our patrons who came from over 25 states and a half dozen foreign countries.
When you are thinking of the best in traditional jazz or Dixieland, please consider the St. Louis Stompers in your plans. Their professional approach to each selection insures patron appreciation and repeat business. Don't take my word for it. Listen to 'em!
As a member and president of Lakeside Festivals in Clear Lake, Iowa, I have seen and heard many bands throughout our 13 years in existence. I am happy to say that the St. Louis Stompers, having been here on back to back years, have always been crowd favorites. This band is high energy and the musicianship is of very high quality. They preserve the original music with integrity. In addition, they are a class group of guys and are very easy to work with.
I would recommend them as a headliner band for any traditional jazz festival.
Aug. 2004 Rich Dean
President-Lakeside Festivals
Clear Lake, Iowa
TO: All Jazz Festival Directors
The "St. Louis Stompers" can definitely be referred to as one of the country's "Best Kept Secrets." This band performed at the 2002 and 2003 Lakeside DixieFests, and you can be sure we want them to become a regular at our event. The ensemble is as tight as it gets, and the solos are great, due to exceptional individual musicianship. Their renditions of the olf standards are flawless, and their unique arrangements by pianist Dave Majchrzak are a refreshing change from the "same ol-same old."
Leader Steve Lilley keeps the audience in the palm of his hand with his great sense of humor and vast historical knowledge.
Over our 12 years of holding a traditional jazz festival, we have had some surprises with bands. Most favorable, and unfortunately, a couple unfavorable. The "Stompers" rate at the top of outstanding groups, and we would highly recommend them for any festival.
For additional comments, you are welcome to contact the undersigned.
Sincerely,
Jim Tjaden
Festival Chairman
August 27, 2004
Jim Tjaden
Chairman
Lakeside Festivals
Clear Lake, Iowa
Dear Jazz Fans,
It is our pleasure to encourage you to hire the Saint Louis Stompers. What a terrific jazz band! Our audience enjoyed the pleasure of listening to this great ensemble at this year's 5th Annual Orange County Classic Jazz Festival and the surveys we've reviewed thus far indicate that the Stompers were one of the most favored bands. As festival producers, we assess bands in multiple ways: music style, musicianship, congeniality, cost, personal attributes and more. The Saint Louis Stompers rated high in all categories and we look forward to their presence on our stages in the future.
The St. Louis Stompers Classic Jazz Band performed at the Cedar Basin Dixieland Jazz Festival's 26th year celebration this past June. What our Band Selection Committee had heard on a CD was only a hint of what was to come in the band's live performances. Talented musicians all, the sets were consistently top quality. Our fans were entertained with excellent, tight performances including super trad Dixieland, with a mix of other marvelous jazz favorites. Combining that talent with high energy, the Stompers quickly worked their way into the hearts of our fans! This was the Stompers first appearance at the CBDJF, and we look forward to having Steve Lilley and his fine band return in the future.
